FIRST PERIOD. II 



Guy de la Brosse , established in his office , re- 

 paired and disposed the buildings, and in the 

 first year formed a parterre 292 feet long and 

 227 broad, composed of such plants as he could 

 procure , the greater number of which were gi- 

 ven him by John Robin , the father of Yespasian 

 arborist or botanist to the king. The number 

 of these plants , comprehending the varieties , 

 amounted to 1800. He then prepared the ground, 

 procured new plants by correspondance , traced 

 the plan of the garden to the extent of ten acres , 

 and opened it in 1640 (1). The ensuing year he 

 published a catalogue of the plants cultivated , 

 the number of which, comprising varieties, 

 was 2,36o. He caused those to be drawn which 

 he was apprehensive of losing , and even had 

 some of them engraved. 



Unhappily de la Brosse terminated his career 

 at the moment when, having surmounted the 

 obstacles that opposed his progress , he began to 

 witness the success of his labours. He was, pro- 

 perly speaking, the founder of the King's Garden y 

 and died there in 1643. His remains were depo- 

 sited in the chapel which formed a Dart of the 

 building ; and when it became necessary to de- 



(1) Over the principal gate was this inscription : Royal Garden Of 

 Medicinal Plants ; which remained till the gate itself was demolished 

 by Buffon to enlarge the galleries. 



